Monday, September 1, 2014

Gov’t wants AFPSLAI to produce Ligot accounts

From Malaya (Sep 1): Gov’t wants AFPSLAI to produce Ligot accounts

GOVERMMENT prosecutors have asked the Sandiganbayan First Division to compel the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loan Association Inc. (AFPSLAI) to produce in court documents pertaining to investment accounts of retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto C. Ligot, former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
 
In a rejoinder filed last week, prosecutors Ma. Hazelina T. Militante and Frederick C. Apsay moved for the dismissal of Ligot’s motion seeking to limit the prosecution’s inquiry only to bank accounts allegedly containing his undeclared assets.
 
Militante and Apsay said the bank accounts are being maintained with Bank of the Philippine Islands, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, Metrobank, and Citibank.
 
Ligot’s lawyers said any judicial affidavit not coming from a regular bank should be considered unauthorized and barred admission in court.
 
Graft investigators from the Office of the Ombudsman said Ligot concealed assets by omitting them from his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 1993 to 2003.
 
Based on the indictment, Ligot’s undeclared properties include a residential lot in Susana IV, Muntinlupa City; condominium units at the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and Essensa East Forbes, both in Taguig City; a condominium unit at Paseo Parkview Tower 2 in Makati City; and a condominium unit in Burgundy Plaza along Katipunan in Quezon City.
 
Prosecutors said his family also owns a house in Anaheim, California; a parcel of land in Tanay, Rizal; a farm in Malaybalay, Bukidnon; and investments with AFPSLAI.
 
There were also several motor vehicles reportedly owned by the accused, including a Honda Accord, two Subaru Forresters, an Isuzu Elf truck, and a Toyota Highlander.
 
Prosecutors said Ligot cannot bar their access to records of AFPSLAI even if the latter previously refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the Office of the Ombudsman. AFPSLAI said it would divulge such information only if there is a valid subpoena from a court.
 
In a second forfeiture case filed by the government on June 3, 2013, the Ombudsman asked the court to order seizure in favor of the state sums held in seven investment accounts in AFPSLAI in the names of Ligot, his wife Erlinda, and children Paulo, Riza, and Miguel with a combined value of P1.2 million.
 
The Ombudsman identified various bank deposits and investment of the Ligots totaling P55.6 million.
 
Ligot retired in 2004 but prosecutors said just a year before he left the military service, the military comptroller declared a net worth of only P3.24 million.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/gov%E2%80%99t-wants-afpslai-produce-ligot-accounts

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